This past spring break, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Chicago with a group of TCU students and advisors. You’d be surprised to know that this was a lot of firsts for me. It was my first time leaving the state, my first time being on a plane, and my first time traveling “solo.” I had a great week in Chicago and wanted to share a little about my experience!
I didn’t really know how the airport worked at first, but my friends helped me navigate my way around (I just followed them everywhere). I went on the SkyLink Shuttle for the first time, which I didn’t know airports even had. I almost fell on the floor because I wasn’t holding onto anything, but my friend caught me just in time. Let’s just say, this was the closest thing to a train to me, which I’ve also never been on.
The only things I knew about airplanes were from what I’d seen in movies and shows. I was lucky enough to get a window seat and watch us take flight. Once I put my phone on airplane mode, I was confused as to why my Spotify music wasn’t working (only Apple Music worked). I ended up watching Avengers: Infinity War and Abbott Elementary for the rest of the flight, but I wasn’t complaining.
I wasn’t a fan of the way my ears kept popping, so I turned up the volume in my headphones to combat the feeling. The turbulence wasn’t that bad, thankfully, but then again, I pretended it was a really long car ride. When we reached Chicago, the weather was freezing, and it was snowing so much that it felt like I had landed in a dream. A bus took us to our hotel, which was insanely nice (I miss the flatscreen TV every day). I watched Marvel movies every night, so you could say I enjoyed it a little too much.
Now, let’s get to a few of the places I got to go to! Some places we went to were The Bean, The Chicago River, the SkyDeck, and my personal favorite, the Harry Potter Shop.
The Bean was crowded, but my friends and I were able to take some nice photos next to it. It was super dirty up close, so I tried not to get too close to it. Before we arrived, we walked through the city and were surprised at how there was a shop on every corner. We walked along The Magnificent Mile and saw Dior, Louis Vuitton, Coach, American Girl, Gucci, and many more. I loved how walkable and alive the city was, even with the rainy weather.
The Chicago River was so beautiful! It was super windy the day we went to see it, and my umbrella turned inside out… let’s just say it was very embarrassing. The river was green because of the St. Patrick’s Day parade, but I think it made our photos stand out more.
The SkyDeck wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. My friends and I went at night because we thought the pictures would be cooler, and they were. For some reason, I’ve never fully watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but I got to stand right where he stood in the movie, which was also very cool.
At the Harry Potter Shop, I may or may not have spent $70 on a Harry Potter sweater. In my defense, I’ve been wanting it for a while, so it was worth it. I got the sweater Harry received for Christmas in The Sorcerer’s Stone that has a huge “H” on it. I was between his and Ron’s, but Harry is my favorite character, so it was an easy decision.
Of course, we ate lots of food; I enjoyed some and didn’t care for others. I personally wasn’t a fan of deep-dish pizza, so I ended up eating regular pizza. I had gelato for the first time and ordered chocolate amorino, which was absolutely delicious! It was basically ice cream but thicker, and this might be a hot take, but it was a million times better than regular ice cream. We went to Ramen-San, and I got the express lunch with ramen and rice. I’d never had actual ramen before (unless you count the Maruchan packets), but it was really good!
We visited DePaul University and the University of Illinois Chicago, which were very inspiring and insightful. I learned about grad opportunities and multiple cultural centers that offer representation for different groups of people. My favorite museum we got to visit was the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. I enjoyed observing the Paris in Black exhibition, which details the history of Black creatives in Paris. As a Black creative myself, it was inspiring to learn more about what Black people have done and that I can do it, too.
I can’t forget about the souvenirs I got from Chinatown! I got three charm bracelets (two purple and one white), an oatmeal Chicago sweater, and a Chicago hat. I was going to get a small trinket, but I don’t think I would’ve put it on anything. We went to a bakery where I tried cinnamon sugar croissants (which I long for everyday despite how unhealthy they are). Later, I got a mango smoothie where my friends and I sang our hearts out to “Who Says,” by Selena Gomez (If you know, you know).
As a whole, I had a great time in Chicago and would recommend anyone who hasn’t already been to go! If I could sum up my whole experience, it would be in this one quote from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”